Air-motor.



W. OREBLY.

. AIR MOTOR.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG 18, 1911. 1,044,995; Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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WITNESSES: I INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY W. CREELY.

AIR MOTOR.

APPLIGAIION FILED AUG 18, 1911.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR 3? m GEM ATTORNEY nnrrnn srans Muir ria WILLIAM CREELY, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO R OF ONE-FOURTH T0 FRED LENNOX, OF ALPENA, MICHIGAN.

AIR-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 19112..

Application filed August 18, 1911. 'Serial No. 644,808.

to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to air motors for propelling vehicles, and pertains particularly to such motors as applled to the propelling of street cars, motor trucks, and vehicles of like nature.

The improvement consists in means for utilizing a part of the momentum of the car when going down-grade, for pumping air under pressure into a tank, from which the air may be subsequently taken to drive the motor.

A further object is to provide means for compressing air to a greater pressure than that required for driving the motor, and storing the air so compressed, and means for drawing the highly compressed air from its storage tank, reducing its pressure and delivering it to the working pressure tank, from which the motor derives its supply.

further object is to provide means for quickly increasing or decreasing the speed of the car, or for reversing its motion, and means for quickly disconnecting the engine from the traction wheels for the purpose of throwing the engine out of gear.

My invention also comprises means for heating the air in the working pressure tank to therebyincrease its expansive properties.

With these and certain other objects in view, which will appear later in the speciiication, my invention consists in the devices described and claimed.

the accompanying drawings, forming a In the drawings, 1 represents the frame of a car, 2 the car wheels, and 3 the axle.

1 is a beveled 5 is a beveled pinion meshing with gear 1.

6 is a pinion shaft carrying a paper friction pinion 7 feathered to shaft 6 and adapted to be slid along the shaft by any suitable mechanism, not shown.

8 and 9 are adjustable boxes by which pinion 7 may bemoved toward or from a fiat face friction wheel 10 secured to the end of a crank shaft 11. The crank shaft is driven by a triple expansion air engine comprising a high pressure cylinder and valve 12, intermediate cylinder 13, and low pressure cylinder 14.

By sliding pinion 7 along its shaft, the speed of shaft 6 can be varied or its direction of rotation reversed, and the shaft 6- may also be thrown into or out of operation by shifting the boxes 8 and 9, thereby connecting or disconnecting the engine from the wheels 2.

The high'pressure cylinder 12 receives its supply of air under working pressure from the tank 15, which I designate the working pressure tank, being connected thereto by a pipe 16. The working pressure tank receives its supply of air from either of two sources, 2'. a, from storage tanks 17 through a suitable pipe having a reducing valve 18, or from air compressors 19,19, which are driven from the axles 3 by means of eccentrics 20, each of the compressors being piped to the working pressure tank 15. Storage tanks 17 receive their supply of air, which is at much higher pressure than the air in the working pressure tank 15, from a two-stage air compressor 21, which is driven from a suitahle gas engine 22, the air compressor being connected to the tanks 17 by means of pipes 23 and 24:. The exhaust from engine 22 passes through the exhaust pipe 25 into a cylindrical jacket 26 that surrounds the working pressure tank 15,. and the jacket exhausts into the atmosphere through a pipe is an independent heater of any suitable construction, adapted to heat the contained in tank 15, independent of the en.- haust of engine 22.

The operation of the machine is as fatlows: The storage tanks 17 are first charged with air at high pressure from any suitable gear fixed to the axle, and.

source, as an independent charging station, or if desired, they may be charged y means of the two-stage compressor 21 and the gasolene engine 22. Air is drawn from tanks 17 through the reducing valve 18 and re ceived at a lower working pressure into the tank 15. When the car is started, air at working pressure is drawn from tank 15 to high pressure cylinder 12, where it is partly expanded, thence through intermediate cylinder 13 and low pressure cylinder 14, from which it is exhausted to the atmos phere. Cylinders 12, 13 and 14 drive the friction wheels 10 and the pinion 7, which in turn drives the wheels 2. As the car proceeds, the engine 22 and compressor 21 deliver sufiicient air to storage .tanks 17 to in tank 15, the auxiliary heater 28 may be employedv to raise the temperature to the required degree.

The heater 28 may be of any suitable type, the details of the heater forming no part of my present invention.

On down-grade the surplus momentum of the car is converted into stored-up energy I in the manner which will now be explained.

The air compressors 19, driven from the axles 3 by means of eccentrics 20, are piped tothe working pressure tank 15, as shown in Fig. 1. When descending a grade, pi nion 7 is thrown out of contact with friction wheel 10, thereby disconnecting the engine from thewheels 2. The air supply to the engine is shut OE and the air compressors 19 are thrown into communication with the working pressure tank 15. The movement of the car and rotation of the wheels 2 operate the compressors 19 and supply the tank 15 with additional air at working pressure. \Vhen the bottom of the grade is reached, the engine is again started and the compressors 19 are disconnected from'the tank 15. I

It will thus be seen that I have produced an air motor comprising means for compressing air to. high pressure and storing 1t, reducing the pressure and deliverin the air to a receiver at lower pressure, and rawing the airfromthis receiver into an engine. It will also be seen that I utilize the heat of the exhaust from the air compressor engine to. preheat the air. in the receiver and thereby increase its expansive property. I also provide means'for absorbing the surplus momentum of the car when going down-grade or when stopping, and converting the energy so absorbed into the form of air under pressure to be later utilized in driving thecar.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a vehicle having axles, a tank for storing air at working pressure, a jacket surrounding said tank, an air compressor, a gas engine adapted to drive said air compressor. an exhaust pipe connecting the exhaust of said gas engine to said jacket, an exhaust outlet to said jacket, a storage tank adapted to store air at a pressure higher than working pressure, pipes connecting said air compressor to said high pressure tank, a pi e connecting the high pressure tank to said working pressure tank, a reducing valve located in said lastmentioned pipe, a, compressed air motorconnected to said working pressure tank, and traction devices actuated by said moton, together with an air compressor operatively connected to an axle of the vehicle, and a pipe connecting said compressor with said working pressure tank.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GREELY.

Witnesses:

CHRISTINE A. BRAIDEL, Gro. W. SMITH. 

